CHARLOTTE — The game within the game overshadowed the Carolina Panthers’ 30-15 victory against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium.

The Panthers won back-to-back games for the first time this season as they evened their record at 3-3. The Rams even were uglier, getting penalized eight times for 68 yards, having a player ejected and displaying an edginess and general lack of discipline that St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said hurt his team and “got out of hand.”

Carolina quarterback Cam Newton and tight end Ben Hartsock called the chippiness and the trash talking the head games that occur between highly competitive combatants in the heat of battle. Hartsock was especially vocal discussing St. Louis guard Harvey Dahl, a former teammate.

Dahl took exception to a perceived sideline hit on St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford, resulting in Bradford being carted off the field. Carolina safety Mike Mitchell knocked Bradford out of bounds and Bradford’s knee hyperextended. No penalty was called, but Dahl charged after Mitchell. A play later, Dahl again had words with Mitchell.

It was just one instance of the scrums and pushing and shoving that pervaded the game. St Louis defensive end Chris Long was ejected for throwing a punch. He walked off the field to jeers and a fan threw an object at the son of Hall of Famer and Fox television analyst Howie Long.

“It’s the game within the game. I enjoy getting guys worked into a lather and getting them out of their game,” Hartsock said. “I played with Harvey in Atlanta. He is one of those rough necks. The scouting report said he might lose his composure. When he put his hands on Mitchell and I didn’t know what would happen. I love the guy, but he hurt his team.”

Former North Carolina standout Robert Quinn is a defensive end with the Rams (3-4). He entered the game as the NFC leader in sacks. He said his team spiraled out of control.

Carolina got off to a rip-roaring start when Captain Munnerlyn intercepted a pass on the first play from scrimmage and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

“Quintin Mikell deserves credit for the interception,” Munnerlyn said. “He came on a blitz and hit the arm of Sam Bradford. It was like a punt and I fielded it and ended up taking it to the house.”

It was Munnerlyn’s fourth career interception return for a touchdown and tied Mike Minter for the franchise record.

Munnerlyn still might not be square with Carolina coach Ron Rivera.

“Before the game Coach (Ron) Rivera said I owed him two interceptions because I dropped two this year,” Munnerlyn said. “I guess I still owe him one.”

Page 2 of 2 - Carolina players noted the importance of the early lead and the tone it set. It was indicative of Carolina’s defensive play this season, which has been the team’s cornerstone.

“You try to set the tone early as a defense,” linebacker Thomas Davis said. “If you come up with a touchdown, it’s a huge momentum shift.”

Mitchell’s hit on receiver Tavon Austin late in the first quarter caused a fumble that was recovered by Munnerlyn. Eight plays later, Graham Gano booted a 37-yard field goal to put the Panthers in front 10-2.

The Rams tackled Mike Tolbert in the end zone for a safety after the Panthers stopped the Rams on four consecutive plays from the 1.

With 1:05 remaining before halftime, Tolbert gave his club a 17-5 when he bulled over for a touchdown from 1 yard out.

The Panthers were held to 28 yards rushing in the first half, not particularly impressive considering St. Louis entered the game ranked 30th in the NFL against the run.

“I’m not sure why we sputtered at first,” Rivera said. “They knew we wanted to run the ball and loaded up the box a couple of times. Once we got them loosened up, I thought we were able to run the ball.”

Carolina started the second half with a 13-play, 61-yard drive that gobbled up more than eight minutes, culminating in Gano’s 31-yard field goal for a 20-5 margin. St. Louis fired right back, going 80 yards in three plays to pull within 20-12. The big play of the drive was a 73-yard bomb from Bradford to Brian Quick.

Carolina responded on Newton’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith, his 800th career reception. Smith made two nifty moves to elude defenders and find the end zone for a 27-12 margin. The moves were pretty, unlike the way in which the Panthers won.

“We just needed to win a game, who cares how you get it done?” Smith said. “We aren’t worried about how it looked.”

Carolina 30, St. Louis 15

Why Carolina won:The Panthers capitalized on two St. Louis turnovers resulting in 10 points, while the defense stifled the Rams, including a four-down goal-line stand.

Turning point:On the first snap of the game, Carolina cornerback Captain Munnerlyn returned an interception 45 yards for a touchdown. The Rams never fully recovered.

Key statistic:Carolina equaled or exceeded 30 points for the second consecutive week as it won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Notable quote:“When people (tick) you off, you want to rub it in their face.” — Carolina receiver Steve Smith on his touchdown celebration and the numerous scuffles between the two teams.